World Cup Second Round Begins: Stakes Rise as Teams Battle for Group Control

The 2026 FIFA World Cup entered its second phase on June 17 as all 48 teams prepared for their second group-stage matches, with tournament favorites facing pressure to secure victories and underdog nations seeking to build on surprising opening results.

Every team played its opening match in the expanded 48-team format, which has already produced multiple upsets. Cape Verde, Qatar, and Congo earned World Cup points for the first time in their history, offering hope for unlikely knockout-round advances. However, pre-tournament favorites Spain, Portugal, and Brazil all drew their opening matches and now face must-win scenarios to maintain momentum in their groups. Similarly, Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Switzerland struggled in their debuts and must improve quickly.

On June 17, four matches headlined the day's action. Mexico, buoyed by a dominant 2-0 victory over South Africa in front of 80,824 fans at Azteca Stadium, faced South Korea in Guadalajara for control of Group A. Mexico's opening win drew 7.1 million U.S. viewers on English-language broadcast, making it the most-watched opening match ever for such coverage. However, Mexico would be without defender Cesar Montes due to a red card suspension. South Korea, winner of a 2-1 comeback against the Czech Republic in its 12th World Cup appearance, held the advantage of remaining in Guadalajara after its opener.

Elsewhere, South Africa faced the Czech Republic in Atlanta despite being short-handed following red cards in its loss to Mexico. Themba Zwane's suspension was increased to three matches by FIFA for serious foul play, though South Africa appealed the decision. Canada and Qatar sought their first World Cup victories after both earned opening draws—Qatar remarkably pulling back from a goal down against favored Switzerland, while Canada scored late against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Canada's bid was complicated by captain Alphonso Davies' ongoing hamstring injury. Switzerland, meanwhile, looked to regroup from its shocking draw against 56th-ranked Qatar, which had created a four-way tie in Group B.

The tournament's expanded format and surprising results have created competitive uncertainty across all groups, with established powerhouses and smaller nations alike fighting for survival in the group stage.